


Five Years and A Dream

by alrangerz



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Future, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Confessions, Explicit Language, F/F, Feels, Kissing, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, victoria might be ooc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:07:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27135667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alrangerz/pseuds/alrangerz
Summary: Max Caulfield disappeared after the Arcadia Bay storm with no traces left behind. The search for her lasted for months, but even after her case was closed, Victoria Chase never gave up looking. Now with a new visitor to her gallery, Victoria is determined to find out the truth more than ever.
Relationships: Kate Marsh/Chloe Price, Maxine "Max" Caulfield/Victoria Chase, Taylor Christensen/Steph Gingrich
Comments: 15
Kudos: 39





	1. Reminisce

**Author's Note:**

> Slight AU where there is no sacrificing and the storm kills like nobody!
> 
> This was a random idea I got while listening to If It Means A Lot to You by ADTR. It's gonna be a super short multi chapter fic. The second chapter is gonna be dramatic as heck.

It’s been years since Max Caulfield’s disappearance.

The week it happened was one that no one had seen coming. Mark Jefferson and Nathan Prescott were found guilty of their respective crimes, both being arrested after the Arcadia Bay Tornado ran rampant through the town, destroying everything in its path. The only structures left standing proud and tall were Blackwell Academy and the Two Whales Diner. Arcadia Bay spent months, years, attempting to rebuild their town to it’s previous glory. With relief funds and help from neighboring communities, they managed to rebuild it, but it wasn’t the same. The storm had left its mark, mentally and emotionally.

Victoria sat on one of the many benches in her gallery, her phone in one hand, a glass of champagne in the other. It had been another amazing night at the exhibit, dozens of artists participating in tonight’s showcase at the Chase-Caulfield Gallery, but a few of the guests weren’t there for the other artists, no. Some of them had travelled miles just to see the shots taken by the infamous Victoria Chase and late Maxine Caulfield.

After Max’s vanishing, Victoria and Chloe spent weeks looking for anything that could shine light on where Max could have gone. During their search, Victoria also focused more on perfecting her talent with a camera. All of the photos she took she kept hidden away until the right moment to show the world; it was only after the search for Max was no longer the town’s top priority did she decide to buy a space for a gallery. They had given up and let it go, but she hadn’t. She couldn’t...and she knew Chloe wouldn't either.

She still remembers Taylor questioning why Victoria was so bent on finding Max, and the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she hadn’t asked herself that question. Why, of all people, was she so worried about Max? It was a thought she tucked away for later. For now, she focused on one of the photographs hanging on the wall before her. It was one Max had taken the evening of the storm. Victoria remembers the first time she saw the photo of the car flipped on its top, dangerously teetering off the edge of a building. It filled her with a sense of dread. The photo took her back to that night. She had been evacuated with the rest of her peers ahead of the forecast, she had feared the worst for Arcadia Bay when saw the size of the storm.

Despite having been born and raised in Seattle, the small Oregon town became her second home, and to have it taken away just like that was something she never wanted to experience again.

The sound of the building’s front door opening, accompanied by booted steps, pulled Victoria from her own mind. It wasn’t unusual for people to walk in thinking they’d still make it in time for the show, so she didn’t even bother with turning around.

“The show is over. Come back tomorrow at five for another.”

A moment of silence followed.

When she didn’t hear the person’s footsteps retreat back out the door, she huffed and stood from the bench to turn to the person, a snobby comment already making its way through her head, but when she faced them, the glass in her hand slipped from her fingers, shattering across the linoleum floor.

_ This can’t be fucking real… _

“Hello, Victoria…”


	2. Seeing is Believing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max tells Victoria the truth about her disappearance, and her powers. Of course, Miss Queen Bee needs proof before she goes and forgives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm genuinely enjoying writing this. If it seems confusing, or rushed, it's intentional. I swear it will all come together.

_ This can’t be fucking real… _

_ “Hello, Victoria…” _

Victoria felt her heart drop when she saw who had walked in; so many emotions were swelling inside of her, but it was anger and hurt that bubbled over first.

It was Max herself...

Before she could stop herself, the blonde woman stomped up to Max and shoved her back before pulling her back in by grabbing her hoodie.

“Who...who gave you the fucking a-audacity to just fucking show up like this?! Like you haven’t been gone for five goddamn years, Caulfield!” Victoria pushed her away again, quickly sitting on the bench to try and stop her the floodgate of tears before they started. She failed, and now she was sobbing into her hands right in front of a guilt-ridden Max Caulfield.

Baby blue eyes darted around the area momentarily before Max crouched before Victoria, hesitantly placing her hand on the blonde’s knee.

Victoria recoiled from the touch, jumping off of the bench to stand away from the brunette. “Don’t fucking touch me, Caulfield! You don’t get to just...to just come in here and act like everything is okay!”

Max sighed and pulled herself onto the bench, sitting with her back to the furious woman.  _ She’s right. Nothing is the same. Way to go, Max. If she’s this upset about your return, she’s not going to like what you have to say next. _

They sat in an awkward silence, neither knowing what to say to break it, at least until Max looked at the photos again.

“I’m proud of how far you’ve come, Victoria. Despite not being here, I did keep up with your work. I have to say, I was quite saddened when you didn’t publish anything for a long while. Then you opened this beautiful place of yours, and it inspired me.”

The declaration alone was enough to make Victoria’s heartbeat faster. She ignored the feeling and wrapped her arms around her torso as she walked around the glass to stand in view of Max’s peripheral. “I stopped shooting to look for you, even after finding that stupid confession of yours..”

It was a response that took Max by surprise. Sure, her and Victoria may have shared a couple of more than friendly words with one another the night of the Vortex Club party, but she was more than sure that Victoria didn’t want anything to do with her after she left, or at all. Then she remembered…

“Wait, you saw my letter?”

“Of course I saw your letter, hippie! That blue haired punk, excuse me, friend of yours begged me to help find you. We stopped by your parents’ house. Fucking Seattle, Max! We went to Seattle to look for you, but all we found was your stupid letter!” Victoria was angry now, face red and cheeks stained with her tears. She was trying her best to stay composed, but even just looking at the younger girl was enough to tear her apart. She mentally scoffed at herself.  _ Since when did I become so emotional over her? She’s just...Max… _

That was it. Max was Max. No one else could be like her, let alone replace her. That was one of the things Victoria liked about her; she was so carefree, not giving a fuck about what people said. She was bitchy towards the young woman, because she was jealous, even envious, of her. She wished she could just understand it, which had been no problem for the past few months, but now that Max had just shown up out of the blue, she was conflicted all over again.

“You have no idea how hard it's been for us, Max. For me. We were so worried that you were...fuck, I can’t even think about this right now!”

Max watched Victoria closely. She felt her heart drop at the sight of the blonde sobbing into her hands once more before she took a seat on the bench, her back almost touching Max’s.  _ I didn’t realize she’d be so affected by this...I thought she hated me… _

“Victoria, there was a lot you didn’t know about me that week, and I wanted to tell you how I knew everything, but you’d just think I was crazy. You want to know why I just up and left Arcadia Bay?” A deep breath and a soft groan before she continued. “You don’t have to believe me, but I’m only telling you the truth.”  _ Here it goes.  _ Max opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, Victoria’s phone started to ring loudly in the small space.

Victoria lifted her head from her arms and checked the caller ID. It was Taylor. She could call her back later. “Go ahead, Caulfield. I’m sure you won’t disappoint me any further with some bullshit excuse.”

The amount of sarcasm laced in her words made Max shrink further into her hoodie, but she didn’t let it stop her from speaking. “I caused the storm that ripped our town apart. I caused so much chaos between realities that I basically created that storm...”

Victoria furrowed her brow at Max’s words, heart racing as she felt her anger bubbling once more. “Do you think this is some fucking joke, Max? Hundreds of people lost their lives that day and you want to make light of it?” She knew Max could be oblivious at times, but she didn’t think she’d be insensitive.

“Victoria, I’m not lying. I lost some friends that day too, it’s never going to be a joke to me.” The blue eyed woman turned halfway to face the other, a look of seriousness on her face. All Victoria had to do was look at her. “It sounds crazy, I know, but believe me when I say that it’s my fault. I’ll give you an explanation, well, demonstration.”

That word caught Victoria's attention. “Demonstration? What are you going to do? Start a tornado here?” Now she was turned to meet Max’s gaze, and she swallowed hard when noticed how close they were.

“No, but I can...kind of rewind time and alter realities.”

It was silent for a long while, and the longer Victoria didn’t respond, the more embarrassed Max became.

“Do I have “Stupid” tattooed on my fucking forehead, Caulfield? Whatever, this is pointless. I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” She stood from the bench and began picking up the discard pieces of glass to take it to a nearby trash bin. She’d clean the spilled champagne later before she went home for the night.

“Victoria, I’m serious. More serious than polio…” Max walked after her friend and grabbed her wrist to stop her. “Let me show you. Please…” She hoped her eyes were enough to convey her emotions. She wanted to be trusted, to be believed, but it wasn’t going to be easy. “Please,” she begged softly.

With a deep sigh, Victoria gently pried Max’s fingers off of her wrist and turned to face the now taller woman.  _ She even did some growing up while away...hair and height…. _

“Fine, hippie. How do you plan on showing me?”

Max had to stop herself from smiling when she received the typical glare from Victoria. It seemed that it never changed since the last time she got one. “Your phone rang earlier, right?” Upon receiving a nod, she continued. “Tell me who tried to call you, and I can go back and tell you who called, if it makes it more believable, give me your last text from the person. Would that be convincing enough? If not, I can try something else.”

Victoria shook her head and told Max that it was Taylor who had called. She shared the most recent text from her best friend. “Alright, I told you, now go ahead and do your weird time shit before I kick you out.”

Max nodded and let out a deep breath, closing her hands, and holding her hand out as she concentrated.  _ Been awhile since I’ve done this. Shouldn’t be that hard. _ It took a few seconds, but she was finally able to run back the conversation they just had. When she stopped rewinding, she jerked forward, eyes squeezing shut when she felt a moderate pounding in her skull.  _ Dammit! _

“What are you doing, Max?”

The brunette shook her head and stood straight up to look at the blonde woman. “Nothing, just...god, rewinding takes a bit of wind out of me…”

Victoria rolled her eyes and cocked a hip out as she waited for an answer. “Whatever, hippie. How do you plan on showing me?” The question was in reference to Max’s confession about her powers, and now the older girl was curious as to how Max was going to prove it.

“I’m going to tell you who called you earlier, and if you want to think that this is some wild guess, like I said, I can try something else. Anyway, Taylor called you. If you don’t believe that, her last text to you reads, “Hey, remember we’re getting breakfast tomorrow. Kk love you, girl!” That's all it says followed by like a few emojis.”

Green eyes narrowed dangerously at Max, but her glare definitely softened after she checked her messages. There was no way Max could’ve known what it said word for word unless she was telling the truth. “I still don’t completely understand how, but this is pretty much solid evidence that you’re a weirdo. I’m pretty beat from today, but we can talk more tomorrow.” As she began shutting off most of the lights and powering things down, she turned back to Max and pursed her lips. “I didn’t say it before, but I’m glad you’re alive.”

Max felt relief wash over her at the declaration and the small smile she received afterwards. “Me too. Goodnight, Victoria.” With that, she tightened the strings on her hoodie and exited the establishment to find her Jeep parked in an alleyway some blocks down. She would have to stay out of sight for a few more days, or at least until Victoria knew the whole truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the feedback so far! Because of you guys I have done another chapter.


	3. Breakfast Club Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victoria gets Max's number and invites her over for breakfast, but little does Max, she is about to be interrogated before she can say yum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took awhile because I kept rewriting it. I didn't like how it was coming out, but I think I found it now. This is going to be a little longer than I wanted, but it's going to be wrapped up soon. Lots of OOC coming into play eventually. Also this one is for you Pricemarsh shippers and Steph/Taylor fans

The sun shining through the jeep’s front windshield is what woke Max from her peaceful slumber. It’s been months since she’s slept that soundly. Living in a shitty motel with loud occupants does that to someone, but as long as she had a place to lay her head at night, she didn’t complain too much. She rolled onto her back and grabbed her phone to check the time, groaning when saw that it wasn’t even nine in the morning yet. It was part of her routine back when she stayed at the motel, waking up on time for some coffee and a bagel or two.

Breakfast.

How was she going to find a place to eat without someone recognizing her? As if on cue, her stomach began rumbling, and that’s when she realized she hadn’t eaten in almost 24 hours. She really needed food, and the only other option was driving about ten minutes out to the next town for a drive thru meal. Maybe she could find a McDougle’s in Manzanita or something.

With that thought in mind, she sat up from her makeshift bed and climbed to the front of her vehicle to sift through the backpack that sat in the passenger seat. It was packed with three outfits and just the bare necessities to keep her hygiene in check. She turned on the jeep and changed the radio stations until she found one playing her favorite song.

Max sang along to the song as she gathered her outfit for the day and grabbed deodorant, her toothbrush, and the bottle of water she kept in another compartment. She didn’t take too long to get ready, only spending a few minutes to clothe herself and fix her hair. Sometimes a comb and a hair tie is all it took to throw it into a ponytail. She looked over herself in one of the side mirrors, clicking her teeth and pointing finger guns at her reflection.  _ Looking good, Caulfield. Now it’s time to get on the road and grub. _

The time was now half past nine, which was still pretty early, but she had some things she wanted to take care of before noon. She quickly packed up the makeshift bed in the small trunk and neatly placed the bedding against the back of the rear seats. Everything else was packed away in her backpack which she decided to keep in the front seat with her. She made sure her wallet and phone were on her person before she slipped into the driver’s seat.

_ “Good morning, people of Arcadia Bay. This is your friendly neighborhood radio host, Frank Bowers. We’re going to do things a little different this morning because we have a special guest. Go ahead and introduce yourself.” _

Max was about to change the station until she heard the familiar voices through the speakers. It made her freeze and her heart drop. Frank? No way was he a radio show host now.

_ “What’s up, Arcadia Bay. For those of you who don’t recognize my lovely voice, my name is Chloe Price, the best musician in the west. Thanks for having me on the show, Frank.” _

She could hear the smile in the woman’s voice and it was nice. It’s been so long since she’s heard Chloe’s voice. Despite the woman being her best friend, she hadn’t been able to keep up with her as much as she wanted. All she knew was that Chloe was a professional dj, taking part in countless competitions in the country. She wondered what brought her to Arcadia Bay this weekend. As for Frank, she was quite taken aback by his new career choice.

Leaving the station on to listen to, Max put her seatbelt on and carefully exited the small alleyway. The morning traffic in town was always light and she was grateful for it as she drove down familiar roads. Not much had changed after being rebuilt; the townsfolk had tried to keep it as similar as before. She put her shades on and turned up the radio just enough when some of Chloe’s music started playing. It was great driving music, in Max’s opinion, and before she knew it she was crossing the city border into Manzanita.

“Alright, McDougle’s where are you?”

The brunette had to drive around for a few minutes before she found the fast food establishment. It had been right in the central part of the town, making it quite busy in the mornings. She wasn’t in a rush, she could wait in line.

A vibration against her thigh pulled her attention from the car before her and she realized it was her phone. Deft fingers fished the device out of her pocket and held the phone out so she could check the text she received.  _ How did she get my number?  _ It was Victoria.

**Unknown Number: Is this Max? It’s Victoria. I was just wondering if you’ve eaten already, if you’re even awake.**

Max snorted at the message, but she was still curious.  _ I’m feeling bold this morning. _

**Me: I’m in a line rn, but maybe I’m not hungry for food ;) Think you can help me with that? Also how’d you get this number?**

She let out a deep sigh after sending the text. She was regretting it already, especially when her phone buzzed not even five seconds later.

**Unknown Number: You fucking wish Lamefield. I wouldn’t sleep with your hipster ass even if you were the last person alive.**

**Unknown Number: I have my ways. Get out of whatever line you’re in and meet me at this address.**

Just moments later, Max was reading over the address sent to her.  _ GPS time, I guess. Where even is this? I’m not going to question it right now.  _ She set the address as given and waited until her GPS started giving her directions.

* * *

“I’m sorry, what do you mean Max is in town?”

Chloe Price, best friend of Max Caulfirled since they were kids, had just spit out her orange juice all over the floor. Well, Victoria’s newly installed hardwood floor, to be exact. The blonde woman was not too thrilled when she witnessed the action. She had accidentally let it slip that she was with Max at the gallery the night before, letting everyone know what she had said. Of course Chloe believed every bit of the story, she knew about Max’s powers, shit she had been at the lighthouse that Friday.

“You mean to tell me that my...that Max has been well and alive this whole time and she hasn’t decided to let anyone know? She knew we were looking for her, and she just went about life like it was nothing?” Chloe was beyond angry right now, tears flowing down her reddened face, and fists coming to slam on the table almost hard enough to shatter the glass. Had it not been for the hand on her back, she would have probably stood and flipped the table, not worrying how costly that would’ve been. She could afford it, but she knows Victoria wouldn’t be too happy about it.

“I know you’re upset, Chloe, but there was a reason she left. If she does decide to show up, she will tell you.” Kate Marsh had been one of the few people to stick by Chloe and Joyce’s side after Max’s disappearance. She had known Max for during their time at Blackwell, and the brunette had been one of the only people who actually cared about her. When Max left, she was deeply saddened, finding much comfort in Chloe in the following months. Despite not agreeing with most of what the older teen did, Kate found her oddly charming and came to realize how much she cared for her, vice versa. Fast forward two years later and they’re dating.

Victoria set down her phone and rolled her eyes when she saw Chloe’s frown. She had been against inviting Max, but she also wanted answers.

“You’d let Max tap that ass anyway, Chase. Don’t lie to her now. She’ll probably just lie to us in retaliation anyway…”

The other person in the room wiggled their eyebrows and rounded the table to sit beside their girlfriend. “Taylor, tell Victoria that Chloe is right.”

“Taylor, please tell your beanie girlfriend to shut the hell up.”

Taylor and Steph looked at one another and giggled aloud, annoying Victoria and Chloe even more. Why did she even agree to come host breakfast? Because Taylor was her best friend and agreed to invite her and her girlfriend. And their friends. Before she could come up with a snarky retort, the doorbell rang.

Steph nudged Taylor while giving Victoria a knowing smirk and nodded her head towards the hallway that led to the front door. “Go ahead, I’m sure that’s Max herself. Tay and I will be upstairs if you need us, okay.” She grabbed her plate of food and followed behind Taylor to the other side of the house, sprinting up the stairs to the guest room. Chloe had decided to stay at the table. She wanted to greet Max properly when the younger girl entered the dining room, she wanted to see her face when she realized that she was there. Kate would stay with Chloe, and she kind of wanted to see Max as well.

Victoria took in a deep breath and pushed herself away from the table and headed for the door, opening it the moment her fingers wrapped around the knob. It was indeed Max and she couldn’t help but stare at the brunette when she flashed that goofy smirk.

Max gripped the straps of her backpack tightly as she cleared her throat and shifted her weight. “Morning, Tori.”

Tori. There she goes with that nickname again, the one that made Victoria’s skip a beat anytime it was used. “Morning, Max. Glad you finally decided to join us.”

“Us,” Max asked, tilting her head slightly. She followed Victoria inside and was amazed by the size of the house. It was two stories and seemed to have more than four rooms, and a beautiful mahogany staircase that led to the second floor. Why anyone would need so many rooms was beyond her. Unless they weren’t alone. The moment she stepped foot in the dining room, her mind was telling her to run. Her heart dropped dangerously and her emotions started to overwhelm her faster than she could process what was about to happen.  _ No way Chloe, and...is that Kate? Fuck… _

“Yes, Mad Max, us. Welcome back the fuck home, hippie.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is always appreciated!


	4. Breakfast Club Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe confronts Max and gets her to explain why she left. Kate just wants everyone to get along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for slow updates. I have a lot of WIPs rn and am trying to push them out as they arrived. Life has also been kind of hectic since it’s close to the holidays.
> 
> This fic is gonna get wrapped up soon here. It wasn’t meant to be long, and I’m content with it.

“Yes, Mad Max, us. Welcome back the fuck home, hippie.”

Chloe was standing at her seat, arms crossed and face scrunched up in anger. Seeing her old best friend just made her blood boil. She knew she should’ve been happy that she was back home, that she was alive and well, but she wasn’t. She was hurt, and beyond upset with Max. She wanted to know why the younger woman left without question, why she left Chloe alone for the second time in their lives. Again, she was grateful for Kate’s presence alone. Who knows what she would have done out of pure anger.

Victoria’s voice broke the silence, tone sharp as ever. “Don’t just stand there, Max. Have a seat, join us for breakfast.” She pulled out a chair for the brunette and walked into the kitchen to get her a plate of whatever was left.

Max swallowed the lump in her throat and cautiously took the seat across from the couple who were both still staring at her like she had just set their house on fire. Her fingertips drummed to a nonexistent beat against the table. She couldn’t look at Chloe right now. If she did, she’d probably start crying and babbling on about nothing, even going as far to ask for forgiveness almost immediately.

“Max, it is really good to see you again,” Kate spoke up first. She had taken Chloe’s hand in hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze. They would get through this, and it’ll all be okay. “I know this isn’t how you expected your morning to go, and you have to understand that we’re a bit conflicted right now, Chloe especially. We don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable, but we would like-”

“Where the hell did you run off to after the storm?”

“Chloe, don’t,” Kate pleaded as her girlfriend glared at Max, eyebrows drawn together in agner. The last thing she wanted was for Chloe to explode and go off on the brunette.

“Not now, Kate. Max knew what she was coming home to whether it was here or somewhere else. Isn’t that right, Maxine?”

Max almost recoiled at Chloe’s harsh tone. Yes, she knew what she was coming home to, but she hadn’t expected it to be so soon, and not with both Chloe and Kate. Were they...together? She shook her head and gripped the hem of her flannel, searching for something, anything to say. “You’re right, but Chloe, I can explain. I didn’t want to leave Arcadia Bay, I just-”

“What reason did you have to just fucking leave? I thought everything was fine?”

“Chloe! Stop interrupting her, she is trying to explain herself. Don’t be rude,” Kate scolded the blue haired woman, glaring at her partner as if daring her to say something in return. Their relationship could definitely be confirmed when Max noticed the look on her friend’s face before she apologized quietly and let her continue.

Max thanked Kate before she took in a breath to speak. “I left Arcadia Bay after the storm because I couldn’t deal with the guilt of causing so much death and destruction. I saw the diner, I saw people’s homes and all the wildlife, and I just couldn’t. I had to get away from it all just to be okay. Knowing that I wreaked such havoc...I’ve never been the same since…”

Chloe clenched her jaw and her anger was becoming more visible. It seemed that Max struck a nerve. “You talk about being okay like you were the only one affected. You ditched town instead of turning to your best friend, your family, fucking Victoria, for help? Any of us would’ve been willing to help you, but no. You left me, us, because you were scared. Not only that, but didn’t even bother to tell your parents. All we had was a later dated the day you left and how much you liked Little Miss Perfect over here.”

Victoria had just walked into the dining room with a plate of food in one hand and a glass of orange juice in the other. “Chloe, we talked about this,” she warned through gritted teeth. She set down the meal in front of Max, who no longer felt hungry. “Look, Max, we’re all glad you’re back, but we’re also conflicted.”

Kate pursed her lips and excused herself from the table. This was not her conversation to intervene, and the three obviously had more to discuss. She gave Chloe a quick kiss on the cheek and disappeared down the hall, leaving the trio alone with each other.

“Guys, look, I’m sorry, I really am, but you have to understand that what happened to Arcadia Bay fucked me up. I spent that whole week trying to make sense of everything. Do you know how psychologically damaging it was?” Max frowned deeply as she spoke, trying her damnedest not to cry in front of the other two. “Chloe, I watched you die on countless occasions. I saw what your life was like in another timeline, and Victoria…” She closed her eyes and clenched her fists tightly. “I’m just...really glad you’re here today…”

Victoria crossed her arms and stared at the table, brow furrowed deeply in question. “Max, what you said last night, about time alteration, why didn’t you just stop everything and go back?”

Max pinched the bridge of her nose; she could feel a headache coming on. “Because going back in time and altering the original events is what caused the storm. It started in the bathroom that Monday. Chloe and Nathan were arguing and Chloe wasn’t supposed to make it out, but I went back in time and pulled the fire alarm as a distraction. That’s where it started. From there I took advantage of my newfound power and derailed dozens of events from their original courses. I guess the universe didn’t appreciate that and the chaos began to build.”

Chloe and Victoria glanced at one another, the older girl nodding slowly and letting out a deep sigh. “It’s good to have you back, Max.” That was all she said before she took her plate, and Kate’s, and headed to the kitchen.

The action confused Max, who raised an eyebrow in question. Her arm on the table knocked into her plate and she remembered that she still needed to eat.

“Do you not like eggs or something,” Victoria asked from her seat on the side. She noticed that Max hadn’t touched her food either. “You don’t have to eat-”

“No! Uh, no, sorry. I’m sure it’s delicious. I just have so much on my mind at the moment…” The blue eyed woman picked up the fork and poked at her scrambled eggs. She noticed that there was white cheddar cheese mixed in and she couldn’t help but chuckle softly. The noise caught the blonde’s attention.

“What’s so funny, Max?”

“Nothing, I’m just surprised you put cheese in your eggs is all. Thank you, Tori. I mean that. I know that you’re all still conflicted on my return, but I can assure you all that I’m not going to be leaving anytime soon. I know I have to earn everyone’s trust again, and I’m willing to take other consequences as they come.” She paused her speaking to shovel some of the food into her mouth. It was a tad cold, but oh did it taste delicious. She couldn’t help but moan.

“Glad you like the food. As for earning our trust and other consequences, you and I can start by talking about your letter.” She almost whispered the last part, but she told herself she’d be confident discussing her feelings. “I’ll understand if you want to wait. I’m sure you’re overwhelmed right now.”

The letter. It wasn’t even a proper letter. Max had stopped by her home in Seattle to find a few things in her old room, and before she left she had written down a few of her thoughts on a sheet of notebook paper. It had been written as if it were a letter, but she just balled it up and tossed it in her empty bin. She hadn’t expected anyone to snoop through her trash bin during their search. It contained her feelings for Victoria, and an apology to Chloe and her parents; and apology for leaving.

“Earth to Max. Don’t go zoning out on me, Lamefield.” The name was accompanied by a small smirk on the young woman’s face, which was a rare sight to behold.

“Sorry. I was thinking about the letter. So, you saw it? And like, read the whole thing?”

“All of it. So the question is: do you actually like me as more than just some classmate from school?”

It was now or never.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is always appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is always appreciated.
> 
> Check out my Tumblweed @ alrangerz


End file.
